Develop Mental Toughness

We Got A Top Sports Psychologist To Help You Learn How To Think Like A Champion

MM: For someone who wants to learn to think like a champion, what are the key things to focus on?

JA: First and foremost, you have to decide what you really, really want. You have to have a big-picture goal and then chip away at it each day through intelligently applied hard work. That’s what champions do. They know exactly what they want to accomplish and then they focus on daily acts of excellence.

A lot of times, we don’t know exactly what we want. There’s a sports psychology saying that says, "Big goals lead to big outcomes." Define what you want most and then set daily goals to accomplish it.

MM: Beyond that, I guess it’s taking the other things you talked about into account — facing adversity, having a good attitude.

JA: Yeah, mental toughness, or a champion’s mind, is doing the thing that is hard over and over again. What champions do is they’ll push themselves on their down days and get the most out of what they do have. A lot of us say, "I’m not motivated, I’m not going to work out," or, "I’m not feeling my best at work so I’ll just try to get through work today." That’s not a champion’s mindset. A champion’s mindset is, "OK, if I’m at 80% today, I’m going to get 100% out of my 80%.’ We can’t be better than ourselves, but certainly we can be not as good of what we’re capable of doing. So they’re always trying to get the most out of what they do have in the moment. And that’s really what peak performance is all about.

MM: What are some common pitfalls in everyday life that you think guys may be succumbing to?

JA: Well, another concept in sports psychology is, "Get comfortable being uncomfortable." We’re all creatures of habit. We like to feel comfortable — but that’s not peak performance or excellence. It’s setting little challenges for yourself every day to get outside your comfort zone. That’s when we reach our achievement zone. Looking at everything more as a challenge rather than a threat is important on a day-to-day basis. And then having those daily goals can help us get past any momentary impulses or obstacles. For example, if you have a goal of getting to the gym today, then that meeting or one more phone call won’t prevent you from getting there. Most of us say, "I hope to get to the gym later," but a goal is not a hope. It’s saying, "I’m going to get to the gym. That’s my goal and I’m going to make it happen." So the little things that might trip us up if we don’t have daily goals really prevent us from getting where we want to go.

Another strategy would be practicing positive self-talk. The mind leads the body, so if you’re not in the right frame of mind, you’re not going to accomplish much, whatever you’re doing. Champions are their own best friends. They’re going to encourage themselves when things get tough, where most of us might throw in the towel and then when things don’t go well, we beat ourselves up. Champions are champions because they don’t lose to themselves.

MM: So do you suggest guys do that when they’re on their own or are at work?

JA: Before your workout or when you get to work, instead of just slumping into your chair at your desk, have a powerful posture. That’s important at the end of the day, too — when our energy is low.

Visualization is extremely important, too — not only seeing what you want to accomplish but also picturing the steps that are needed to accomplish the task. Don’t visualize yourself just having a good day at work, but visualize yourself actually working on the report and turning it in — and all the steps in between.

MM: You’ve worked with notable athletes. Who stands out, in your opinion, for thinking like a champ?

JA: For the NFL Combine prep, I would go back to Adrian Peterson and J.J. Watt. The reason they stand out is because of their commitment to greatness. Good isn’t good enough for them. They make putting in their all the norm and not the exception. They think big, they never settle and — most importantly with champions, but with regular guys as well — they’re not too proud to get help or ask for help. Champions surround themselves with a good support team, and I think that’s important. The typical male isn’t always good at reaching out for help. It’s looked at as a weakness, rather than a commitment to being the best you can be. No one wants to feel dependent on others, but it’s okay to be interdependent. There are times we could all benefit from a helping hand.